


When stars align

by gilleboll



Series: gilleboll’s star wars au [1]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dating, M/M, Meet-Cute, Sexuality Crisis, bb-8 is a dog
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-15
Updated: 2019-04-26
Packaged: 2020-01-14 12:25:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18476194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gilleboll/pseuds/gilleboll
Summary: When Rey abandons Finn at the gym, he's left to work out alone. Well, maybe he won't have to, after a very handsome man asks Finn to spot him. Rey would say it sounds like fate, but Finn is a bit more skeptical - until he crosses paths with the handsome Poe for a second time.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> HEAVILY inspired by this (https://twitter.com/redditships/status/1117125336876101634?s=21). So, you know, I can't really claim full credit for this fic. I still hope you enjoy reading it though!

Rey, 3:34 pm: _Hey my karate thing got moved - can’t join you at the gym today... Sorry!!_  
Finn, 3:36 pm: _Dw about it I’ll just go by myself_  
Rey, 3:36 pm: _Are you sure that’s fine??_  
Finn, 3:38 pm: _Ofc!_  
Rey sent a thumbs-up emoji and that was that. Finn let out a sigh. Damn. Just like Rey’s karate instructor to move the times around for her classes. It’s not that Finn _couldn’t_ go to the gym by himself — he most certainly could, it’s just that the gym got _incredibly boring_ alone. Well, if Rey couldn’t join him anyways then there was no point in waiting for her. With a groan, he heaved himself off of the couch, making sure to grab his gym bag on the way out. Right before he was about to step out the door, he gave himself a pat-down — just in case he forgot something. Wallet, keys, phone. Okay.

 

It wasn’t until he had already gotten changed and was about to step onto the treadmill that he came to the slightly horrifying realisation that he had indeed forgotten something; earbuds. He’d gotten so used to having Rey to work out with, thus not needing any music, that he had just left them at home on his bedside table. He resisted the urge to slap his hand to his forehead. Dummy! Instead, he braced himself for an extra dull hour surrounded by the sound of strangers working out rather than a good playlist or even a podcast. At least the thudding of his sneakers against the rubber mat of the treadmill was something to focus on. After a while he had even managed to sort of zone out, which was actually amazing.

 

After some running and some rowing, Finn thought it was finally time for some weights. This was the daunting part, now that he didn’t have Rey with him — but it had to be done and there was no use in stalling any further. He was just about to reach for a pair of dumbbells as he usually did, when someone caught his shoulder.

“Hey,” the person said as Finn turned around. It was a man with dark, curly hair and just the hint of stubble on his cheeks. He looked at least a few years older than Finn. “Think you could spot me?” the man asked.

“Uh- yeah, sure,” Finn spluttered. The man flashed a handsome smile. If every man smiled like that, Finn probably wouldn’t be straight.

“Thanks,” the man said, still with that smile on his face. _Jesus Christ_ , who gave this guy the right?

“You’re a lifesaver, uh… What’s your name?”

“Finn.”

“You’re a lifesaver, Finn,” the Handsome Man told him with a pat on the shoulder. Finn followed him to a bench to spot him. Watching him lift the barbell in silence felt increasingly awkward. How could he save this situation? Probably not by talking without restraint, but that’s what he did.

“Been lifting long?” he asked, and immediately regretted opening his mouth. Could he seriously not have thought of something better to ask?

“A few years,” the man said before lifting the barbell with a grunt. “You?”

“I barely lift at all. Mostly I just spot my friend but she couldn’t make it today.” _Seriously, Finn! Shut up!_

“That’s too bad. But hey, you get to spot me instead,” the guy said and let out a kind of strained laugh.

Finn scoffed a laugh as well. “I guess.”

“Got any family?” the man asked.

“Ah- no kids or anything, if that’s what you mean. I have a roommate, though. You?”

“No kids either. I’ve got a dog — he’s almost like a kid.”

Finn smiled a little to himself. Of course this guy had a dog. It seemed almost a little _too_ on brand.

“He’s like four years old but still acts like a puppy. Maybe I baby him too much.” The man chuckled again. He lifted the barbell one last time before racking it.

“Thanks for spotting me,” he said.

“No problem,” Finn responded with a small smile.

“I would get you a coffee or something, but I left my wallet at home. Sorry about that.”

“You don’t have to do that! Don’t sweat it.”

“Sure,” the man said, getting up off the bench. He gave Finn another friendly pat on the shoulder. “Maybe I’ll see you around.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Finn said, trying to mirror the man’s friendly smile. Mostly he just felt like it looked awkward. All of him suddenly felt very awkward.

 

* * *

 

“I can’t believe Luke changed the times around _again_ ,” Rey said as soon as the apartment door closed behind her. “It’s not like he has anything better to do!”

“I can,” Finn called from the kitchen, where he was stirring a pot of spaghetti.

“Ha-ha,” Rey deadpanned. “I’m still so sorry I couldn’t make it to the gym,” she said, entering the kitchen with her bo staff still in hand.

“It’s fine!” Finn reassured her.

“The thing is, I don’t know if I’ll be able to make it next week either… I hope that’s okay.”

“Yeah, no worries.”

“You’re a star,” Rey smiled, propping her staff up against the wall.

Finn turned off the heat on the stove. “I mean, who knows… maybe it’s fate,” he said jokingly. Rey stifled a chuckle.

“Who knows,” she said in a tone of voice Finn knew was always accompanied by her right eyebrow shooting upward. Finn shot her a skeptical look.

“Don’t tell me you believe that stuff,” he said. She returned the look in full, hand placed firmly on her hip and all.

“Why shouldn’t I?” she asked. Finn raised his hands and eyebrows simultaneously.

“Not going there today,” he chortled.

 

* * *

 

Just as expected, Rey couldn’t make it to the gym the following week either. Finn couldn’t exactly blame her; he was well aware that she liked martial arts better than the gym and that she mostly went for his sake. At least this time he had remembered to bring his earbuds. However, he hadn’t expected to run in to the Handsome Man again. What were the odds of him seeing this remarkably memorable stranger two weeks in a row? He rarely even saw gym regulars two weeks in a row! Finn noticed the man squinting in his direction and decided to raise a hand in greeting. Recognition flashed across the man’s face and his lips turned upward in a smile. Soon, he was standing in front of Finn.

“Hey,” Finn said, pulling his earbuds out of his ears.

“Hi,” the man replied. “Who’d have thought I’d see you here again?”

“I know I wasn’t expecting it,” Finn chuckled.

“Me neither,” the man confessed. “It’s Finn, right?”

“Yeah.”

The man nodded. “I’m Poe, by the way.” Poe extended his right hand for Finn to shake. “I forgot to tell you that last time.”

“Nice to meet you Poe.”

“Nice to meet you too.” Poe looked around the gym before returning his eyes to Finn. His eyes were very brown. “No friend with you this time either?” he asked. Finn shook his head with pursed lips.

“No, she couldn’t make it.”

“Typical,” Poe said sympathetically. “If you want, I could be your gym buddy today.”

“Sure, why not?”

 

Working out with Poe was quite different from working out with Rey. Yes, both of them were strong, but the way they encouraged Finn was the big difference. Rey was not afraid of getting playfully mean and using tough love to her advantage, whereas Poe was a more positive presence. If nothing else, it was a nice change of pace.

 

“You always come here on thursdays?” Poe asked while Finn was once again spotting him.

“Yeah. Why?”

“I’m just kind of wondering why I haven’t seen you around before,” Poe said.

“Oh, well I guess the stars just aligned,” Finn suggested.

Poe chuckled. “Must be.” He racked the barbell and sat himself up. “You know what, if this happens again, I’m buying you a post-workout coffee. Or tea. I don’t know what you drink.”

“You don’t have to-” Finn started, but Poe held up a finger before he could finish.

“Look, pal. I can’t have you spot me three times without returning the favor somehow.”

“Coffee sounds great,” Finn surrendered.

The corners of Poe’s mouth pulled upwards in a grin. “Great. Let’s hope I see you here next week, then, Finn.”

“Yeah.” _Let's hope_.


	2. Chapter 2

Rain smattered against the windows of their small apartment, which was currently filled with the delightful smell of Indian takeout.

“I’m telling you, it’s  _ fate _ !” Rey exclaimed at Finn from across the kitchen table as she tore herself another piece of naan. 

”I doubt it,” Finn rebutted. 

Rey gave him a look akin to that of an older sister pitiful over the fact that her younger sibling still believes in Santa Claus. “What else would you call this actual rom-com situation?”

Finn couldn’t help but to chortle. Rey was so cute when she got all up in arms about things Finn didn’t believe in, such as fate. “I would call it coincidence,” he said. “Also, you’re saying rom-com as if I’m about to live happily ever after with this guy.”

“This could be your gay awakening, love.”

“I’m not gay,” Finn told her, as if that would stop her. She waved him off with a filthy hand. Mechanics were animals.

“Bi awakening then,” she said. Finn shook his head, resisting his urge to actually tut at her. Instead he opted for a smile. She was hopeless sometimes. This was not a rom-com situation.

 

* * *

This was a rom-com situation. 

 

There was no way  _ on this earth _ that this was anything but a rom-com situation. There was no way he would be standing opposite Poe for the  _ third week in a row _ otherwise. 

“Finn! Buddy!” the older man greeted him as if they were old friends and not just really unlikely acquaintances. “Looks like I’m going to have to buy you a coffee,” he laughed. That laugh must have been infectious, because even though he hadn’t said anything particularly funny, Finn couldn’t help but smile in return.

“Seems that way, huh?” he said. “Dumb question, but do you need me to spot you?”

The corners of Poe’s eyes crinkled as he laughed. He laughed with his whole face, and it kind of reminded Finn of Rey when they first met. To add insult to injury, Poe’s laugh could probably melt even the coldest of hearts. Nope; if all men laughed like that, Finn  _ definitely _ wouldn’t be straight. 

“Good catch,” Poe said with a courteous nod. “Should we get that over with first? I’m already warmed up.”

Finn nodded. “Oh, uh- yeah. Sure.”

 

It’s fascinating how time flies sometimes. It felt like only fifteen minutes had passed from Finn arriving at the gym to him leaving it to grab a coffee with Poe, when in reality it had been upwards of an hour. During that hour Finn had gotten to know Poe considerably well; his dog was named something like Bao, but he called it Beebee — what a sweet way of saying Baby — he lived alone and he used to want to become a pilot as a kid. Poe had, in turn, learned that Finn went to college for engineering, that they’re both only children and that Finn (and subsequently, Rey) only moved to town about two years ago when he graduated.

 

”You drive?” Poe asked, throwing a glance at the half-full parking lot. Finn followed his gaze. Lots of shiny, new and definitely expensive cars lined the neat grid of parking spaces. He shook his head.

”Not today. You?” 

”Yeah,” Poe said with a vague gesture towards the left end of the parking lot. ”Want a lift?”

”Yeah. I mean- sure.” 

Finn followed alongside Poe up to a very clearly well-loved Honda. At least Finn’s best guess was that it was a Honda. He was never very good at cars; that was Rey’s area of expertise. Whether the brand of car was correct or not, Finn climbed in to the passenger seat. When Poe turned the key in the ignition, the car filled with the quiet tune of a classic rock song Finn didn’t know the name of.

“Do you, uh, have a usual spot you go to?” Poe asked.

Finn thought for a second. He usually just made coffee at home, but he couldn’t just say that.

“Not really. Barnes and Noble, I guess,” he finally said.  _ Wow, could he have said anything dumber _ ? 

“How is it?” 

“Huh? Oh- uh, it’s not… great,” Finn said with a chuckle. 

Poe let out a snicker. “No? Well, how about we go to my usual spot?”

“Sounds good.”

 

Poe’s usual spot wasn’t what Finn would call  _ good coffee _ . In fact, he thought it tasted kind of burnt. But, seeing as he got it for free, he couldn’t really complain. 

“How’d you find this place?” Finn asked Poe as the two of them sat down at a small, square table in the middle of the quaint café. 

“My friend used to work here, and I just kind of... stuck around, I guess.” 

Finn nodded whilst blowing gently at the steaming beverage in his cup. There was a  _ ding _ from Poe’s jacket pocket. He drew out his phone and his face lit up when he looked at the screen. 

“Speak of the devil,” he said. Finn raised his eyebrows and looked across the table at Poe. When Poe’s eyes met Finn’s, he looked confused for a second. “Oh!” he exclaimed. “My friend who worked here. She’s watching Beebee and she just texted.”

“Oh, okay.” Finn took another sip of his coffee and had to do his best to not shudder at the taste. Was the coffee here usually this bad?

“Wanna see?” Poe asked, and Finn must have looked very puzzled because Poe quickly scrambled to explain himself. “My dog. Jess just sent me a video.”

Finn’s face lit up as the explanation made things click in his head. “Oh, oh yeah, of course!”

Poe smiled and pushed his phone across the table. Just as he had said, there was indeed a video of a dog. Beebee looked like a big ball of red and white fluff zooming across a green lawn and Finn could hear a woman — that he assumed was Jess — laughing behind the camera. 

“What breed is he?” Finn asked, pushing the phone back toward Poe. 

“Australian shepherd. Just the sweetest, he loves people.”

“And I’m going to assume he loves running?” Finn joked, gesturing to Poe’s phone with a grin. Poe chuckled.

“And he loves running,” he added. 

 

Before long, both Finn and Poe had emptied their cups of coffee, though neither really seemed to notice; they were too caught up in conversation. 

“-No I  _ swear _ she could kill me in less than two minutes, she’s deceptively strong,” Finn said, coaxing another amused laugh out of Poe. He laughed a lot. Not that Finn minded; it was a great laugh.

“Nah, I think you’d stand a chance” Poe said, somehow managing to sound joking and genuinely encouraging at the same time. “I mean, you’ve been working out with me. You’re practically ripped!” He reached over the small table and gave Finn’s admittedly not small arm a quick squeeze. Finn let out a flustered chuckle and glanced down at the table for a second.

“You’re too nice,” he said. Poe waved him off with a “ _ Bah _ ”, as if it wasn’t wholly and completely true. 

“Shoot, look at the time,” Poe said with a glance at the wall-mounted clock behind Finn. “I have to go pick up Beebee soon; I’ve gotta run.”

“Yeah, of course! Well, thanks for the coffee, Poe. You really didn’t have to.”

“No, no, don’t worry about it, pal!” Poe assured him. “Hey, how about we do this again? Workout buds, I mean. We don’t have to get any coffee afterward if you don’t want.”

That wasn’t actually a terrible offer. Poe was nice, and seeing as Rey was continually busy with her karate practise, Finn was officially without a gym buddy. Things had clicked nicely between him and Poe so far, so why not?

“Sure,” Finn nodded after a moment’s consideration. Poe looked very pleased with the answer. Finn couldn’t help but notice that Poe’s eyes really lit up when he smiled like that. It looked so genuinely joyful — maybe that’s why Poe’s smile was so infectious.

“Fantastic. Here, give me your phone and I’ll add my number,” he said, holding out a hand. Finn quickly obliged, and watched as Poe tapped his number into Finn’s contacts. He was oddly slow for someone so young.

“There you go,” Poe finally said, returning Finn’s phone. “Took the liberty of texting myself. I’ll see you around.” With that, and a wave goodbye, Poe got up and walked out of the café. 

 

* * *

Rey picked up the phone after just two signals.

“Hello?”

“You won’t believe what just happened,” Finn told her without as much as a greeting.

“I should tell you that you’re on speaker. If this is filthy then you shouldn’t say it,” Rey said, and Finn could hear someone who sounded suspiciously like Rose snicker on the other end. 

Finn sighed. “Why would it be filthy?” 

“I’m just teasing. Tell me!”

“I met him again!”

Finn heard some rustling on the other end of the line. “See? I told you it was fate! You’re living a rom-com.”

“Am not,” Finn said. No way he was going to give Rey this, even though she was right. This whole thing had an uncanny resemblance to the setup of something like a rom-com. She was not going to win this one.


	3. Chapter 3

Poe Dameron sure was something. Finn had only known him for just over a month, but over that short time, they’d become quite good friends; frequently going for coffee after their workout — though Finn would be lying if he didn’t usually get tea, the coffee at Poe’s favorite café still wasn’t very good. On top of their trips to below average coffee houses, they had started texting more and more frequently, and Finn had more than once been invited to go on hikes with Poe and his dog. Beebee, it turned out, was just about as much of an angel as he had been made out to be. Most of the time, at least. No one could say that Poe and his dog were not very compatible with one another. Finn had, during his month of becoming friends with Poe Dameron, started looking forward to seeing and talking to his friend, and he was glad that it was happening more and more. 

 

Finn slammed the driver’s seat door of his (Rey’s) scrappy Volvo shut and scrambled to get the heat on. Poe dove into the passenger seat not long after, two styrofoam cups in his hands. 

“Whoo,” Poe huffed once his door was closed behind him. “It’s really coming down,” he said, glancing at the heavy downpour of rain that had come from nowhere. 

“Oh yeah,” Finn panted, taking his thankfully hot cup from Poe’s hand. The warmth from the cup radiated up through his arm, sending a pleasant shiver throughout his whole body. Finn sighed and leaned back in the seat. “Kind of sucks, doesn’t it?”

Poe looked over at Finn, eyebrows raised. “Does it?”

“Mm, I never really liked rain that much,” Finn answered before taking a sip of his tea. “Wait a second… Are we seriously talking about the weather?”

The sound of Poe’s laugh filled the messy car. “God, I guess it’s come to that. I thought only old married couples talked about that,” he joked.

Finn suddenly felt very hot. The tea must have made quick work of him. He averted his eyes from Poe’s ever so intensely brown gaze, choosing to focus on the plastic lid of his cup rather than the damp, almost black curls falling over his friend’s forehead. Maybe it had just been a hot flash. He quickly regained his composure and looked back up at Poe with a small smile.

”I don’t think that’s the saying,” he said.

”Who says it is?” Poe said with a cocky sort of grin that Finn had started seeing more and more of lately.

”You got me there,” Finn admitted as he set his cup down in the only cup holder that wasn’t full of assorted knick-knacks and old candy bar wrappers. Rey really was a hoarder.

 

* * *

Finn looked up from his book and over at Rey who was seated on the other end of the couch, tinkering with a soldering project he doubted she would ever finish.

”Is it a saying that old married couples talk about the weather?” he asked.

Without diverting her eyes from the board in her hands she answered; ”No, I don’t think so. Why?”

Finn returned his eyes to the book in his lap. ”Poe said something like that earlier and I started wondering,” he said. ”Maybe it’s a dialect thing.”

This time, Rey put down her project on the coffee table and looked over at her roommate with furrowed eyebrows. ”Why would it be a dialect thing?” she asked.

Finn shrugged. ”I don’t know!”

”Also… You’re talking an awful lot about Poe for someone who isn’t having his gay awakening,” she snickered.

Finn threw a balled-up pair of socks at her, and they bounced of her head. “Shut up,” he told her. 

“You text him literally all the time!”

Finn’s mind wandered to his and Poe’s text message conversations. The conversations themselves were nothing especially homoerotic, but thinking back, Finn was always in a hurry to write back. But wasn’t that just being friendly and keeping the conversation going smoothly? Did he respond to Rey’s texts that quickly? To Rose’s? He had to admit that he didn’t. To top things off, the first thing Finn had noticed about Poe was how handsome he was. It sounded more and more like there was something to Rey’s theory.

“Maybe you’re right,” he mumbled after a beat of silence.

“Huh?”

“Maybe you’re right,” Finn repeated, this time a little louder. Rey shifted so that she sat facing him, pulling her legs up on the seat of the couch as she turned. 

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” she asked.

Finn sighed with his lower lip caught between his teeth. “I’m not sure. How do you even figure stuff like this out?”

The corners of Rey’s mouth drew upwards slightly. “It’s kind of… You don’t know until you know,” she told him and proceeded to poke him lightly in the leg with her foot. 

“That wasn’t cryptic at all. Really clears things up.”

Rey let out a short but melodic laugh. “Okay yes, that was pretty cryptic. But I can’t really give you an answer, can I?”

Finn huffed. “No.”

 

This was honestly not how Finn had pictured his night going. He had been planning to just take it easy and maybe watch some TV with his best friend, not semi-frantically wrack his brain for an answer on whether he was as straight as he had previously believed he was. To his immense dissatisfaction, he found that there was no easy way for him to find that answer. Every potential piece of proof of him not being straight was easy for him to disprove, and with very little mind gymnastics, vice versa. That night he went to bed feeling none the wiser. 

 

Poe, 9:32 pm:  _ Down for a hike on saturday? _

Finn, 9:32 pm:  _ Sure _

Finn, 9:33 pm:  _ Just tell me when and where _

Poe, 9:34 pm:  _ Don’t worry about that, I’ll come pick you up _

Finn, 9:35 pm:  _ Ok just tell me when then lol _

Poe, 9:35 pm:  _ Gotcha _

 

* * *

Poe, 8:45 am:  _ Bb’s excited to hike! I’ll pick you up around 9:30? _

Attached was a short video of Beebee skittering across his owner’s wood floors, nails clattering loudly as he ran. The dog’s tail — or rather its entire butt — was wagging back and forth at a considerable speed. Behind the camera was Poe, cooing lovingly at his pet.

“ _ You excited buddy? Yeah? Yeah! You’re excited! _ ”

Finn, despite his tiredness, couldn’t keep from smiling fondly at the scene. 

 

* * *

Somehow, Beebee’s excitement hadn’t waned in the slightest since that morning, and Finn nearly tripped over the furball several times as they made their way up the hiking trail. He only really calmed down as the trio started making their way back down the trail and Poe had his dog safely back on its leash. Even then, he had a knack for getting in the way of Finn’s legs. 

“ _ Easy _ , Beebee,” Poe warned the shepherd. “We don’t want Finn dead, now do we?” 

Beebee just looked up at Poe, wagging his butt. What a doofus. Though he did actually stay out of the general area of Finn’s legs after that, so maybe he wasn’t so much of a doofus after all. Before either of them knew it, they were almost back to where Poe’s car stood parked.

“Just a mile to go,” Poe announced, breaking the silence of the past few minutes.

“Already?” Finn asked. 

“You know what they say; time flies.” 

It sure did, but admittedly, Finn was mostly thankful for being so close to the goal, because he was definitely getting pretty cold. Of course the one day he left his jacket at home was the day that windchill would decide to come for his life. One particularly mean gust of wind went straight through his sweatshirt and he could no longer hold back a shiver.

“Woah buddy, you alright? You’re quivering like leaf!” Poe exclaimed, because  _ of course _ he’d noticed that Finn was cold. Although, Finn wouldn’t say he was “quivering like a leaf”. That was a bit overkill. 

“Here,” Poe said, shrugging off his deep brown leather jacket to hand to Finn before he had even gotten in as much as a word in response. 

“No, keep it on, I’m fine,” he said, trying to push the jacket back into Poe’s hand. Poe, however, seemed hellbent on offering up his jacket.

“I insist! You’re colder than me. Plus, I’ve got Beebee to keep me warm.”

Since there was no winning this argument, Finn had to surrender and took the jacket. It fit him surprisingly well! To add insult to injury, it also happened to be  _ so _ comfortable. He could definitely see why Poe wore it practically all the time. 

“Better?” Poe asked.

“Yeah.”

 

The wind in the parking lot was worse than on the trail, which was probably to be expected given the lack of trees and the flat, open space. That didn’t make it any less unpleasant to cross the lot. By the time they reached Poe’s car, Beebee more resembled an oddly shaped white and orange pom pom, and Poe’s hair had gone from purposefully tousled to actually tousled. If Finn was to be honest though; it didn’t look too bad on him. It really wasn’t fair how some people looked great no matter what, and it did  _ not _ help Finn’s current… confusion. As Poe unlocked the car and let Beebee in the back seat, Finn started pulling his arms out of the well-worn leather jacket. 

“What are you doing?” Poe asked, peeking over the roof of the car at him. 

Finn looked at him, eyebrows drawn up in confusion. “Oh, I thought you’d want-”

“No, no, keep it on! It fits you better anyway,” he said, flashing Finn a quick smile. “Now get in the car before we’re blown away.”

 

* * *

Sometime later that day, there was a soft knock on Finn’s bedroom door, and Rey stuck her head inside.

“Can I come in?”

Finn nodded from where he was sat at his desk. Rey stepped inside without closing the door behind her. There was no real point, seeing as they lived alone. In her right hand was the jacket. She held it up for him to see.

“This isn’t either of our jacket, is it?” she asked and tossed it to him.  _ Why did it smell so good _ ?

“Uh, no, it’s- it’s Poe’s. He-” he didn’t finish his explanation. Rey’s face made him cut himself off.

“He let you have it?” she asked, finishing his sentence for him. Finn nodded slowly.

“I knew it!” she nearly shouted. “I knew he’s into you!”

”How do you know?” Finn asked, sounding a bit more bewildered than he’d meant to.

Rey put on a knowing smile and pointed to herself. ”Gay,” she declared as if Finn didn’t already know. ”Therefore, I can sense this stuff. He likes you.”

Finn tried to say something in return, but he had barely gotten a word out before Rey spoke again.

”Think about it,” she told him. ”He texts you so much, he goes on hikes with you and now he’s insisted on you keeping his jacket; and I’m sure there’s more that I don’t know about.”

The more Finn thought about it, the more it actually kind of made sense. He thought about the way Poe always leaned closer and kept eye contact when he was listening to Finn speak, and how he always smiled and encouraged him to keep going. The many free coffees, the texts, the jacket. But then again, Poe was probably the nicest person Finn had ever met. It was fully possible that he was just being friendly.

”Don’t you think that’s reading into it a little much?” Finn asked. Rey shook her head, causing the loose bun on the back of her head to bounce. 

”Not in the slightest. Besides, don’t you want him to like you?”

Did he? If Poe asked him on a date, would he say yes? 

  
Just the thought was enough to make the bottom of Finn’s stomach drop, but not necessarily in a bad way. He could visualise it, and it didn’t seem so bad, going out with Poe. Not bad at all, actually. But Finn had been so sure he was straight! How could  _ one guy _ bring all that tumbling down? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> phew! this one put me in some trouble early on, but i'm quite pleased with it in the end. and of course, what stormpilot fic wouldn't be complete without a jacket scene? i hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

“You should ask him out,” Rey said. It seemed she didn’t need any further explanation. Finn nearly swiped an empty mug off his desk as his body went rigid.

”What? No, I can’t just- I can’t just do that!” he retorted.

”’Course you can,” she said. ”I guarantee you he’d say yes.”

Finn hung the jacket that he’d been gripping so tightly over the armrest of his chair. ”I’ll think about it…”

 

Two weeks later and he had yet to do anything other than just thinking about asking Poe out. Taking any sort of action was intimidating as hell and any time Finn considered being brave and just doing it, all kinds of doubt and what if’s flooded his brain. This sucked. He was at least 90 percent sure that he liked Poe  _ that way _ and that Rey had been right that those feelings were returned but he still couldn’t get himself to do anything about it. 

 

”You’re seeing him tomorrow right?” Rey asked. When Finn didn’t answer, she threw a handful of popcorn at him. ”Hey! I’m talking to you.”

Finn tore his eyes from the TV to look at his friend. ”So?” he asked.

”So,” Rey repeated. ”You should do it! Just, you know, take the bull by the horns. Easy.”

Finn let out a sigh. ”I’ve tried. Couldn’t do it. You do it if it’s so easy.” 

He could have sworn that Rey actually tutted at him.

”I would but how would that sound if someone asked how you two ended up together and you had to say that  _ I  _ set you up? You have to do this — for your own dignity’s sake.”

”It’s not like my dignity’s going to thank me if he says no,” Finn muttered.

“How many times do I have to tell you, he’s not going to say no. I know it.”

Finn cocked a skeptical eyebrow in her direction. “How can you know?”

Rey shrugged. “I just do.”

With a resigned sigh, Finn let his head fall back onto the soft sofa cushions. “Sure. I’ll give it another try.”

 

* * *

The weather had finally turned from chilly, dreary and depressing to the sunny and warm one would expect from summer, which meant that Finn and Poe no longer needed to sit indoors at the café. This also meant that Beebee often got to tag along. Today was one of those days, and the dog was surprisingly calm where he sat by his owner’s chair with his head in Poe’s lap. Poe was absentmindedly scratching him between the ears as he conversed with Finn. Finn, on the other hand, was not absent minded in any way, shape or form. He was desperately trying to find a good, non-awkward opening to pop the question, as it were. The problem was just that that good, non-awkward moment never occurred.  _ Come on, Finn, just go ahead and say it! _ He was going to do it. Just, swallow his pride and ask the very simple question of would Poe like to go on a date with him. Oh God, his heart was beating a mile a minute. Finn seriously questioned how Poe or at least Beebee couldn’t hear it. Finn most certainly could. He clasped his unsteady hands under his table.  _ Just do it _ . He took a totally non-conspicuous breath in. 

“Anyway, there was something I kind of wanted to ask you,” Poe said just as Finn was about to open his mouth.

Finn’s thoughts grinded to a complete stop as Poe spoke. 

“Uh, shoot,” he managed to respond despite his brain’s sudden absence. 

Poe flashed a quick smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes the way it usually did. “Well, I was wondering if you’d want to go for dinner this weekend or something,” he said. Had Finn just been beaten to the punch? He absolutely couldn’t believe it. Though he had to admit that it had probably been for the better. 

“Are you… asking me on a date?” Finn asked, holding back the grin that so desperately wanted to come out. Better not get too excited yet. 

“Would that bother you?” Poe asked in response. The smallest of smirks was playing on his lips.

Finn shook his head. “Not at all.” The butterflies in his stomach seemed to agree. 

Poe’s smirk steadily grew into the smile that had made Finn’s stomach jolt so many times in the last couple of weeks. Today was not an exception. “Great. Saturday any good for you?”

“Yeah. Yeah, saturday’s good. Great.” Finn let out a small chuckle, because of course. Of course he couldn’t handle this with any amount of grace. 

“I’ll pick you up on saturday then?” 

“If you insist.”

 

Once Finn was alone, safely back in his car, the ear-to-ear grin he’d been working so hard to keep toned down to a more casual smile finally got to come out, and it stayed for quite some time. 

 

* * *

Once saturday rolled around, time felt like it had slowed to a stop. The minutes ticked by at  _ at least _ half the normal pace. Poe was going to pick him up at seven, which meant that Finn was just about ready to go once the clock struck four. He was nervous, weirdly sort of stressed and pacing through the apartment, but at least he was going to be ready on time. After ten minutes of restless pacing, Rey had had enough and wrestled Finn into the couch where she intended to keep him until it was time to go. 

 

After an eternity, the clock on Finn’s phone said 6:45 p.m. and Rey let him out of their living room. She tailed him out into the bathroom where he was checking on his hair in the mirror. It looked just as good as it had after he’d gone to the barber two days ago, but one should never get  _ too _ comfortable. He felt his roommate tugging at the back of his light grey short-sleeved dress shirt. 

“What are you doing?” he asked. 

“Straightening your shirt. Are you sure you ironed it?” 

“Yes, but then you wrestled me down, don’t pretend you don’t remember how it went down,” he told her, arching his eyebrows as he gave her a look through the mirror. “But it’s sweet that you care.”

“It’s not every day my flatmate has a first date,” she said with a smile. “Shall I tuck the shirt in?” 

Before she could mess with his outfit any further, Finn turned around and wrapped her in a hug that was just as much a friendly gesture of appreciation as it was a way to get her to stop fussing. “You’ve done enough for me,” he told her. ”Just enjoy a night for yourself.”

Rey gave him a quick squeeze before ducking out of the hug. ”’Course. You enjoy yourself as well,” she told him. ”And don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything at all.”

Finn couldn’t stop a laugh. ”Sure, mom.”

Rey gave him a look, but left him to his own devices.

 

A couple minutes before seven, Finn was standing on the curb, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his thin bomber jacket. Not that the evening was particularly cold, he just needed something to keep his hands in check. He was  _ not _ going to start a first date being caught biting his nails; no thanks. Even though he knew his date pretty well he felt like he needed to make a good first impression or something, hence him being dressed to the nines. Well, not actually, but better dressed than Poe had ever seen him, that’s for sure. He was even wearing his dress shoes, which were usually just haphazardly thrown into the back of his closet. From his shirt to his shoes, with the added bonus of a fresh (some would even say  _ crisp _ ) dark chinos, Finn felt like he was looking pretty damn good tonight. Part of him thought that maybe he should be putting this much effort into his outfit every day, but the thought of his comfortable sweatpants brought him back from that train of thought very quickly. 

 

Poe pulled up next to him only a few minutes past their agreed-upon time, but he made it sound like he was hours late when Finn clambered into the passenger seat. 

“I’m so sorry I’m late! Did you wait long?”

Finn looked at Poe with a coy smile. “Don’t worry, you aren’t late,” he said, and he saw Poe’s little exhale of relief. At least Finn wasn’t the only one kind of nervous. That made him feel like he could relax a bit. 

“Where are we going?” he asked. 

Poe’s eyes left Finn’s as he pulled back onto the road. He still had those charming wrinkles in the corners of his eyes, though.  _ Don’t stare, Finn! _

“Nowhere too fancy,” Poe told him. 

Finn hummed in affirmation, then let silence fill the car. Silence wasn’t exactly the right word; there was the soft purr of the engine that was mixing with the music playing at a low volume from the speakers. Poe drummed his fingers on the steering wheel in time with the song. Finn watched the tapping for a short while before turning his eyes on the road. 

“You nervous?” Poe asked.

“Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know. You seem nervous.”

Finn chuckled. “Well, this is kind of uncharted territory for me, I guess.”

“First time for everything, bud,” Poe stated and placed a warm hand on Finn’s arm. “I’m just gonna say that there’s no need to be nervous.”

Too soon, the warmth of Poe’s touch left Finn’s arm. 

 

* * *

The restaurant that Poe had picked for them was surprisingly nice for the prices on the menu. It had both outdoor tables and wine that wasn’t absolutely disgusting. So far, so good. The two were seated on the outdoor porch, right by the wall. It was a pretty cosy little corner table they’d picked. 

“I had no idea this place even existed,” Finn said between bites of steak. Poe, who had just raised his glass to his lips, nodded as if it would help him respond quicker. 

“Me neither,” he said as he set his glass back down on the table. “Until I googled it. What can I say, sometimes you run out of ideas.” 

Finn had a theory that Poe could make nearly anything into a fun anecdote or joke if he wanted. The man had a way with words.

”You look very nice, by the way. Snazzy,” Poe added. Finn couldn’t help it — he lost it. Maybe it was the wine, maybe it was the remainder of his nerves, or maybe it was both, but upon hearing the word ”snazzy” he nearly doubled over in laughter.

”Snazzy?” he wheezed. ”I’m sorry for laughing, but  _ snazzy _ ?”

Poe didn’t look all that upset though. His face was a few shades redder than usual, but he was laughing almost as hard as Finn. 

”I heard it as soon as I said it,” he said. ”I just have no filter around authority and hot people.”

Finn snorted at this. But… wait a minute.

”Did you just call me hot?” Finn asked.

”Well I’m not calling you an authority figure, pal,” Poe replied.  _ Wow, okay. Woah. _ Finn thanked any and all possible gods out there that his dark skin made any blushing nearly invisible because otherwise he’d be about as red as a stop sign. 

 

The two of them kept talking back and forth for an hour and a half that felt like no more than thirty minutes. It wasn’t until Rey texted Finn at like 8:40 that he realised how time had flown. 

 

Rey, 8:42 p.m:  _ Are you even coming home tonight orrr?? _

 

”What she want?” Poe asked with a knowing smirk at Finn’s phone.

”How’d you know it’s Rey?” 

”You get this look whenever you talk about her. It’s cute.”

Finn could just die on the spot. How did the stars align so that he was on an actual for real date with a guy like Poe?

”Also I saw the contact name,” the older man added. ”But it felt more date-y to go with the first option.”

Finn flashed him a smile. ”It was.”

”So, is she spying on us? Keeping a watchful eye?” 

”She’s wondering if I’m coming home tonight,” Finn told him.

Poe’s left eyebrow quirked upwards. ”Are you?” he asked.

”Am I?” Finn regretted speaking as soon as it happened. Poe wasn’t the only one without a filter.

A brief silence fell between the two of them.

”You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Poe stated after a few seconds. Once again,  _ woah. _ Finn smiled, nodded. Quickly, he typed out a reply to Rey.

”What’s the verdict?”

”I told her not to wait up.”

 

* * *

Almost none of the furniture in Poe’s house looked new. None of it looked like it had been neglected or badly taken care of though; on the contrary, everything looked well-worn in a way that gave Finn the sense that Poe was a man who cared so much about so many things. That included his belongings. The thought of that warmed Finn’s heart. Adding to the charm of the home was Beebee, excited out of his mind that Poe was back home. He was practically airborne, he was jumping up and down so much. 

“Alright, alright, calm down,” Poe laughed as he tried to get the ecstatic dog to settle. “You saw me three hours ago, baby, don’t get too excited.”

Finn chuckled and let his date and the dog do their thing while he toed off his shoes. Finn had never been a shoes-indoors kind of guy, and there was no way he was going to start now. 

 

Once Beebee was back down at normal levels of excited, Finn was given a brief tour of the house. A nice living room with both a loveseat and an armchair (both of which looked like they often served as beds for Beebee), a wooden coffee table cluttered with various trinkets; remotes, a worn leather dog collar, a few pens and the like. The kitchen was small and honestly kind of barebones. It had everything a kitchen called for, but not much else. A small pile of unopened mail had been unceremoniously placed on the kitchen table. 

“Sorry, I didn’t think about cleaning before I left,” Poe said upon seeing Finn eyeing the mail. 

Finn waved him off. “This is nothing. Imagine sharing an apartment with a recent college graduate-slash-hoarder,” he said. Poe chuckled lightly. Finn would not mind this on a regular basis. 

“I take it you’re the clean one,” Poe said. 

“That’s what strict parents will do for you.”

“Oof. I wouldn’t know. My dad was about as not strict as it gets when I was growing up.”

Finn didn’t want to be  _ like that _ , but he could definitely have guessed that from just about everything about Poe; from the relaxed way he talked and moved to the condition of his belongings not being exactly pristine. He absolutely did not mind though. Why would he? He was living in the same apartment as Rey, for fuck’s sake. 

Finn’s train of thought was stopped by Poe piping back up. 

“How about a drink?” he asked, looking into a cupboard where Finn assumed he must be keeping his liquor in.

“What did you have in mind?”

“Just about whatever. I’ve got whiskey, wine, tequila — a little bit of everything.”

Finn thought for a second, chewing lightly at the inside of his lip as he did. “We probably shouldn’t have anything too strong,” he said. Poe nodded in agreement.

“Smart. You okay with wine, then?”

“Sure.” 

 

Finn did not often find himself tipsy on red wine on the first visit to someone’s house, but today seemed to be a day of firsts all around. He and Poe had emptied what was left of the bottle and were talking merrily as ever on the very comfortable loveseat with Beebee as company in the armchair. Whether it was the alcohol or the privacy of being in a home that made Finn a little extra brave was hard to say, but he had steadily been moving closer and closer to Poe, until they were basically cuddling. It was nice. Very nice. Poe was warm and the sound of his voice made Finn smile. Nope. Finn  _ absolutely _ wasn’t straight. Thankfully, neither was Poe. 

 

“Hey, you awake?” 

Finn jolted out of his half-asleep blissful dream state only to notice the weight of Poe’s arm over his shoulders. Nice, he thought to himself. 

“Mhm. Yeah. I’m awake.” 

The breath from Poe’s soft laugh tickled against Finn’s skin. 

“Sure,” he said, just as softly. Was he getting closer, or was Finn imagining things? No, right? He was definitely getting closer. He wasn’t imagining it. They were breathing the same air now. Finn tried to keep his breathing steady. He let his eyes slide shut as their lips interlocked. A day of firsts, all around. Finn shifted his weight a bit in an attempt to better face Poe, but this made him pull away.

“You okay?” he asked, eyebrows drawn together in a concerned frown. 

Finn nodded as he settled more comfortably. “Very,” he said. This time, it was Finn’s turn to initiate the kiss. He gently placed his palms on each side of Poe’s head, allowing his fingers to  _ finally _ slide into the soft, dark brown curls. He leaned in an  _ bam _ he was kissing one of the most attractive people he’d ever met for the second time tonight. It didn’t take long before Poe’s hands had found their place; one on the nape of Finn’s neck and the other between his shoulder blades. The warmth from Poe’s hand radiated through Finn’s body, as did the warmth from his mouth. The man exuded warmth. Finn let his fingers run through Poe’s hair, and he felt Poe’s lips curl into a smile. Slowly and unwillingly, Finn pulled away. He let his hands out of Poe’s hair and rested them atop his shoulders instead. 

“What?” Finn asked with a similar smile on his face. 

“It’s just, I’ve wanted to kiss you for a long time.” 

Saying that Finn had butterflies in his stomach would be an understatement. 

“Ditto,” he said. Poe pulled him closer into a sort of hug. 

“Lucky us, then,” he said.

“Lucky us.”

 

* * *

The two of them went to bed before midnight, though probably not for the same reasons as many would assume from two men attracted to each other. After Finn had nearly fallen asleep again after their kiss, Poe had decided that they should take things to the bedroom, where they proceeded to struggle to stay awake. Finn’s hands had returned to combing through Poe’s hair where they laid facing each other. Poe looked at Finn, eyes half-shut. His hands were rubbing loose circles into Finn’s back. It was really hard not to fall asleep. 

“Hey,” Poe mumbled.

“Hey,” Finn repeated. 

“Do you think-” Poe cut himself off with a yawn. “-that we should keep this up? A second date?”

“Mm. Yes. Definitely. Maybe even a third one.”

Poe’s laugh sounded more like an exhale. “A fourth, if we’re lucky,” he said. 

“Sounds good to me.”

**Author's Note:**

> WOAH thanks for reading and i hope you liked it! this was my first time writing stormpilot (or star wars in general) so i do apologise if they feel a little ooc. thanks to everyone leaving comments and kudos, you make my day!<3
> 
> i might make this au into a bit of a series because i've been working on this particular au since december 2017 - we'll see!


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